I watched the KOMO I594 town hall meeting and @ 12:15 into the show They showed the question I asked on Facebook About why if it is about simple background checks why is it 18 pages long and Ralph Fakeatelli said its not 18 pages the first six pages are definitions . Why do they need 6 pages of definitions if it is about simple background checks.
Honest answer:
It's ~4.5 pages of definitions. The reason those are all in there is because the definitions are modifications of existing RCWs, rather than new sections, so the initiative must include the entirety of the existing statute and use underlines for new things and strikethrough for removed things.
The length of any particular initiative doesn't concern me. The content concerns me, and is what should be focused upon. What's truly disgusting about that town hall is the repeated claim by Mr. Fascitelli that the law only criminalizes attempts to circumvent the background check requirements, despite that claim being an outright fabrication. Other whoppers include "Oregon and California already have the exact same laws in place".
More "fun" in the initiative - the "licensed dealer" definition specifically defines a licensed dealer to be a person who is licensed under 18 USC 923 (a). Those of you with C&R FFLs? You're licensed under 18 USC 923 (b).
